India has achieved a significant milestone as the cumulative <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> vaccination coverage has crossed the 220 million (22 crore) mark, according to the 7 pm provisional report, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

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The ministry said 11,37,597 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose and 19,523 beneficiaries of the same age group received their second dose of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">Covid vaccine</a> on Wednesday. Cumulatively, 2,25,40,803 persons across 37 states and UTs have received their first dose and 59,052 have received their second dose since the start of phase three of the vaccination drive.

Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered the first dose of the vaccine to more than 10 lakh beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years, the ministry said.

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The total of 22,08,62,449 beneficiaries includes 99,11,519 healthcare workers (HCWs), who have taken the first dose, and 68,14,165 HCWs, who have taken the second dose, 1,58,39,812 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, 85,76,750 FLWs who have taken the second dose and 2,25,40,803 and 59,052 individuals in the 18-44 years age group who have received the first and second dose, respectively.

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Besides, 6,78,25,793 and 1,09,67,786 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose respectively, while 5,93,85,071 and 1,89,41,698 beneficiaries above 60 years have received the first and second dose.

As on day 138 of the vaccination drive (June 2), a total of 22,45,112 vaccine doses were given.

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The ministry said 20,28,867 beneficiaries were given the first dose and 2,16,245 beneficiaries received the second dose of the vaccine, according to the provisional report till 7 pm.

Final reports would be completed for the day by late Wednesday night.

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The vaccination exercise, as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19, continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry underlined.&nbsp;

India has achieved a significant milestone as the cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 220 million (22 crore) mark, according to the 7 pm provisional report, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

India has achieved a significant milestone as the cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 220 million (22 crore) mark, according to the 7 pm provisional report, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Also Read | Over 50 million Pfizer vaccines ready to be delivered to India; talks ongoing for 'partial indemnity' The ministry said 11,37,597 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose and 19,523 beneficiaries of the same age group received their second dose of the Covid vaccine on Wednesday. Cumulatively, 2,25,40,803 persons across 37 states and UTs have received their first dose and 59,052 have received their second dose since the start of phase three of the vaccination drive. Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered the first dose of the vaccine to more than 10 lakh beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years, the ministry said. Also Read | Pfizer less effective, AstraZeneca even worse against variant first detected in India: Study The total of 22,08,62,449 beneficiaries includes 99,11,519 healthcare workers (HCWs), who have taken the first dose, and 68,14,165 HCWs, who have taken the second dose, 1,58,39,812 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, 85,76,750 FLWs who have taken the second dose and 2,25,40,803 and 59,052 individuals in the 18-44 years age group who have received the first and second dose, respectively. Also Read | Indian drugs regulator DCGI eases norms for clearing foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines Besides, 6,78,25,793 and 1,09,67,786 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose respectively, while 5,93,85,071 and 1,89,41,698 beneficiaries above 60 years have received the first and second dose. As on day 138 of the vaccination drive (June 2), a total of 22,45,112 vaccine doses were given. Also Read | Mixing vaccines has not become the protocol: India health ministry The ministry said 20,28,867 beneficiaries were given the first dose and 2,16,245 beneficiaries received the second dose of the vaccine, according to the provisional report till 7 pm. Final reports would be completed for the day by late Wednesday night. Also Read | Give us priority COVID-19 vaccination: Foreign-bound students to Tamil Nadu govt The vaccination exercise, as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19, continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry underlined.

Cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage crosses 22 crore-mark: Govt

France reached its target of injecting 20 million initial doses of coronavirus vaccines on Saturday, days ahead of a hugely anticipated reopening of restaurant terraces as the government begins lifting a nationwide lockdown.

President Emmanuel Macron announced the milestone in a tweet that said "20 million" with a green checkmark, a number that represents around 30 percent of the population.

Nearly nine million have had a second vaccine dose as well.

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"It's a very important moment for the entire country, because it supports our prospects for ending this crisis," Prime Minister Jean Castex told journalists while visiting the mass vaccination site at the Porte de Versailles conference centre in Paris.

The government aims to have 30 million initial doses injected by June 15, when Macron has said all adults will be able to sign up for a jab currently reserved for priority groups and adults over 50.

"It's within reach," Castex said.

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Authorities also reported further declines in the number of patients requiring intensive care in hospitals.

The number of people in intensive care stood at 4,352 on Friday, a decline of 90 from the previous day and well below the peak of 6,001 during the "third wave" of infections that battered France starting in March.

On Wednesday, museums, theatres, cinemas and concert halls will reopen with limited capacity after six weeks of closure to halt the pandemic, and the nationwide curfew will be pushed back to 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) from 7 pm.

Non-essential shops will also reopen and outdoor seating at cafes and restaurants will be allowed for the first time since October 30.

Cafes and restaurants will be able to serve clients indoors on June 9, and the curfew will be fully lifted on June 30 if infection rates continue to decline.

France reached its target of injecting 20 million initial doses of coronavirus vaccines on Saturday, days ahead of a hugely anticipated reopening of restaurant terraces as the government begins lifting a nationwide lockdown.

France reached its target of injecting 20 million initial doses of coronavirus vaccines on Saturday, days ahead of a hugely anticipated reopening of restaurant terraces as the government begins lifting a nationwide lockdown. President Emmanuel Macron announced the milestone in a tweet that said "20 million" with a green checkmark, a number that represents around 30 percent of the population. Nearly nine million have had a second vaccine dose as well. Also read | Being tech savvy has health benefits for older people: Study "It's a very important moment for the entire country, because it supports our prospects for ending this crisis," Prime Minister Jean Castex told journalists while visiting the mass vaccination site at the Porte de Versailles conference centre in Paris. The government aims to have 30 million initial doses injected by June 15, when Macron has said all adults will be able to sign up for a jab currently reserved for priority groups and adults over 50. "It's within reach," Castex said. Also read | Japan raises state of emergency as covid worsens ahead of Tokyo Olympics Authorities also reported further declines in the number of patients requiring intensive care in hospitals. The number of people in intensive care stood at 4,352 on Friday, a decline of 90 from the previous day and well below the peak of 6,001 during the "third wave" of infections that battered France starting in March. On Wednesday, museums, theatres, cinemas and concert halls will reopen with limited capacity after six weeks of closure to halt the pandemic, and the nationwide curfew will be pushed back to 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) from 7 pm. Non-essential shops will also reopen and outdoor seating at cafes and restaurants will be allowed for the first time since October 30. Cafes and restaurants will be able to serve clients indoors on June 9, and the curfew will be fully lifted on June 30 if infection rates continue to decline.

France hits 20 million milestone in Covid vaccination drive

COVID-19 vaccines deployed in England can cut transmission of the coronavirus in households by up to a half, data from Public Health England (PHE) showed on Wednesday, in addition to the protection the shots offer against symptomatic infection.

The research offers insight on one of the big unknowns over COVID-19 vaccinations ,&nbsp;the extent to which they prevent transmission of the coronavirus,&nbsp;and could strengthen the case for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan&nbsp;to end England's lockdown in June.

"We already know vaccines save lives and this study is the most comprehensive real-world data showing they also cut transmission of this deadly virus," health minister Matt Hancock said.

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New research showed that people who became infected with the coronavirus three weeks after receiving one dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine were between 38 per cent&nbsp;to 49&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;less likely to pass it on to household contacts compared to those who were unvaccinated.

The shots also stop a vaccinated person developing symptomatic infection to start with, reducing the risk by around 60&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 65&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;from four weeks after one dose of either vaccine.

"While these findings are very encouraging, even if you have been vaccinated, it is really important that you continue to act like you have the virus," said Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE.

The study included over 57,000 contacts from 24,000 households in which there was a lab-confirmed case that had received a vaccination, PHE said, compared with nearly 1 million contacts of unvaccinated cases.

Britain has one of the fastest COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in the world, with over 33.8 million first doses given and a quarter of adults receiving both shots.

That has generated real-world data on how Pfizer and AstraZeneca work outside the setting of clinical trials, and earlier this month PHE said the rollout had prevented over 10,000 deaths of people aged 60 and older by the end of March.

Previous data that showed good effectiveness of vaccines in older people helped inform other countries who reversed age limits on AstraZeneca's shot.

(With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19 vaccines deployed in England can cut transmission of the coronavirus in households by up to a half, data from Public Health England (PHE) showed on Wednesday, in addition to the protection the shots offer against symptomatic infection.

COVID-19 vaccines deployed in England can cut transmission of the coronavirus in households by up to a half, data from Public Health England (PHE) showed on Wednesday, in addition to the protection the shots offer against symptomatic infection. The research offers insight on one of the big unknowns over COVID-19 vaccinations , the extent to which they prevent transmission of the coronavirus, and could strengthen the case for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to end England's lockdown in June. "We already know vaccines save lives and this study is the most comprehensive real-world data showing they also cut transmission of this deadly virus," health minister Matt Hancock said. New research showed that people who became infected with the coronavirus three weeks after receiving one dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine were between 38 per cent to 49 per cent less likely to pass it on to household contacts compared to those who were unvaccinated. The shots also stop a vaccinated person developing symptomatic infection to start with, reducing the risk by around 60 per cent to 65 per cent from four weeks after one dose of either vaccine. "While these findings are very encouraging, even if you have been vaccinated, it is really important that you continue to act like you have the virus," said Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE. The study included over 57,000 contacts from 24,000 households in which there was a lab-confirmed case that had received a vaccination, PHE said, compared with nearly 1 million contacts of unvaccinated cases. Britain has one of the fastest COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in the world, with over 33.8 million first doses given and a quarter of adults receiving both shots. That has generated real-world data on how Pfizer and AstraZeneca work outside the setting of clinical trials, and earlier this month PHE said the rollout had prevented over 10,000 deaths of people aged 60 and older by the end of March. Previous data that showed good effectiveness of vaccines in older people helped inform other countries who reversed age limits on AstraZeneca's shot. (With inputs from agencies)

Single dose of Covid vaccine can nearly halve transmission of virus, study finds

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX delivered its first Covid-19 shots on Wednesday.

A flight carrying 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India landed in Ghana's capital Accra on Wednesday.

The delivery comes eight months after the launch of the COVAX initiative, aimed at pooling funds from wealthier countries and non-profits to distribute vaccines equitably around the world.

The shots, part of an initial tranche for low and middle-income countries, will be used by Ghana to start a vaccination drive from March 2 that will prioritise frontline health workers and others at high risk.

Coronavirus infections have soared in Ghana to over 81,200, and 584 people have died, with nearly as many dying in the first two months of this year as in the whole of 2020.

The roll-out in Ghana is a milestone for COVAX, which is trying to narrow a politically sensitive gap between the millions being vaccinated in wealthier countries and the comparatively few who have received shots in less developed parts of the world.

It plans to deliver nearly 2 billion doses this year, including 1.8 billion to poorer countries at no cost to their governments, and to cover up to 20% of countries' populations. But it will not be sufficient for nations to reach herd immunity and effectively contain the spread of the virus.

The African Union (AU) has been trying to help its 55 member states buy more doses in a push to immunize 60% of the continent's 1.3 billion people over three years. Last week, its vaccine team said 270 million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines secured for delivery this year had been taken up.

China has donated small batches of its Sinopharm vaccine to countries including Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea. And Russia has offered to supply 300 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine to the AU scheme along with a financing package.

But many countries are largely reliant on COVAX.

On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged wealthy nations to share vaccine doses with COVAX, saying the goal of equitable distribution was "in jeopardy".

"Today is a major first step towards realizing our shared vision of vaccine equity, but it's just the beginning," he said on Wednesday. 
He had earlier warned that so far 210 million doses of vaccine have been administered globally but half of those are in just two countries and more than 200 countries were yet to administer a single dose.

COVAX is co-led by the WHO, the GAVI vaccines alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and UNICEF.

Africa's reported COVID-19 death toll surpassed 100,000 last week, a fraction of those on other continents but rising fast amid a second wave of infections.

South Africa paused its roll-out of AstraZeneca's vaccine after preliminary trial data showed less efficacy against the 501Y.V2 coronavirus variant dominant there, but other African countries say they will use the shot.

Ghana is among six African countries that have confirmed cases of the variant.

The COVAX rollout is being considered as an inflexion point in Africa's pandemic response. But having said that, it should be noted that the West must take the blame for Africa's slow rollout.

They have stocked up on jabs -- leaving very little for the rest. Canada has bought enough doses to inoculate the population five times over.

The European Union has ordered enough for a double vaccination; so has the United States.

Such massive orders have strained the supply chain, and vaccine makers are unable to keep up.

In short, the pandemic exposed the fault lines in our world, and minorities were hit harder by the virus.

Rich countries handed out cheques, while livelihoods disappeared in poorer nations. This trend of inequity is continuing with the vaccine roll-out.

In Latin America, 1.6 doses are being given per 100 people; in the US, the number is 19; in Britain, it's 27.

Well, the virus may not discriminate -- but the vaccine does.

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX delivered its first Covid-19 shots on Wednesday. A flight carrying 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India landed in Ghana's capital Accra on Wednesday.

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX delivered its first Covid-19 shots on Wednesday. A flight carrying 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India landed in Ghana's capital Accra on Wednesday. The delivery comes eight months after the launch of the COVAX initiative, aimed at pooling funds from wealthier countries and non-profits to distribute vaccines equitably around the world. The shots, part of an initial tranche for low and middle-income countries, will be used by Ghana to start a vaccination drive from March 2 that will prioritise frontline health workers and others at high risk. Coronavirus infections have soared in Ghana to over 81,200, and 584 people have died, with nearly as many dying in the first two months of this year as in the whole of 2020. The roll-out in Ghana is a milestone for COVAX, which is trying to narrow a politically sensitive gap between the millions being vaccinated in wealthier countries and the comparatively few who have received shots in less developed parts of the world. It plans to deliver nearly 2 billion doses this year, including 1.8 billion to poorer countries at no cost to their governments, and to cover up to 20% of countries' populations. But it will not be sufficient for nations to reach herd immunity and effectively contain the spread of the virus. The African Union (AU) has been trying to help its 55 member states buy more doses in a push to immunize 60% of the continent's 1.3 billion people over three years. Last week, its vaccine team said 270 million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines secured for delivery this year had been taken up. China has donated small batches of its Sinopharm vaccine to countries including Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea. And Russia has offered to supply 300 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine to the AU scheme along with a financing package. But many countries are largely reliant on COVAX. On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged wealthy nations to share vaccine doses with COVAX, saying the goal of equitable distribution was "in jeopardy". "Today is a major first step towards realizing our shared vision of vaccine equity, but it's just the beginning," he said on Wednesday. He had earlier warned that so far 210 million doses of vaccine have been administered globally but half of those are in just two countries and more than 200 countries were yet to administer a single dose. COVAX is co-led by the WHO, the GAVI vaccines alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and UNICEF. Africa's reported COVID-19 death toll surpassed 100,000 last week, a fraction of those on other continents but rising fast amid a second wave of infections. South Africa paused its roll-out of AstraZeneca's vaccine after preliminary trial data showed less efficacy against the 501Y.V2 coronavirus variant dominant there, but other African countries say they will use the shot. Ghana is among six African countries that have confirmed cases of the variant. The COVAX rollout is being considered as an inflexion point in Africa's pandemic response. But having said that, it should be noted that the West must take the blame for Africa's slow rollout. They have stocked up on jabs -- leaving very little for the rest. Canada has bought enough doses to inoculate the population five times over. The European Union has ordered enough for a double vaccination; so has the United States. Such massive orders have strained the supply chain, and vaccine makers are unable to keep up. In short, the pandemic exposed the fault lines in our world, and minorities were hit harder by the virus. Rich countries handed out cheques, while livelihoods disappeared in poorer nations. This trend of inequity is continuing with the vaccine roll-out. In Latin America, 1.6 doses are being given per 100 people; in the US, the number is 19; in Britain, it's 27. Well, the virus may not discriminate -- but the vaccine does.

COVAX delivers its first vaccine shots with shipment to Ghana

Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day.

The Union Health Ministry said the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against coronavirus in the country surpassed 80 lakh on Saturday.

It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers.

"The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today&nbsp;for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said.

On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said.

Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday.

Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim.

On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry.

Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi.

Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations.

Of these cases of hospitalisation, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. 
In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated.

"Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital.

"No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said.

In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported.

A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination.

A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds.

The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories.

In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site.

The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries.

In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System.&nbsp;

Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day.

Beneficiaries of the nationwide COVID-19 immunisation drive began receiving second dose with over 7,000 healthcare workers getting the jab on Saturday, 28 days after their first shot on the inaugural day. The Union Health Ministry said the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against coronavirus in the country surpassed 80 lakh on Saturday. It said 80,52,454 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,69,215 sessions, according to the provisional report till Saturday 6 pm. These include 59,35,275 healthcare workers and 21,17,179 frontline workers. "The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started from today for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. The approval provided by DCGI accords a window of four to six weeks for the second dose. As many as 7,668 healthcare workers received the second dose of vaccine today," the ministry said. On Saturday, 84,807 beneficiaries were inoculated till 6 pm, the 29th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination as per provisional data. As many as 4,434 sessions were organised on Saturday till 6 pm, the ministry said. Thirty-four states and Union Territories conducted COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturday. Twelve states UTs have vaccinated more than 70 per cent of the registered heathcare workers. These are -- Bihar, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Sikkim. On the other hand, seven states and UTs have reported less than 40 per cent coverage of registered healthcare workers. These are Meghalaya, Punjab, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Puducherry. Ten states that recorded the highest number of vaccinations are Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Delhi. Total 34 people have so far been hospitalised after being administered COVID-19 vaccine. It comprises 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these cases of hospitalisation, 21 were discharged after treatment, while 11 died and two are under treatment, the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, no person has been hospitalized, it stated. "Total 27 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0003 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of these, 11 died in the hospital while 16 fatalities were recorded outside the hospital. "No case of serious/severe adverse effect after immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination till date," the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported. A 38-year-old person of Harda in Madhya Pradesh died due to myocardial infarction nine days after vaccination. Another is a 35-year-old resident of Panipat in Haryana who suffered from pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and died eight days after vaccination. A 58-year-old resident of Dausa in Rajasthan, who had received vaccine, collapsed on duty and was brought dead to a hospital. Post-mortem details of all are awaited. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed in detail the status and progress of COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged all states and Union Territories to adhere to timelines for covering all healthcare and frontline workers with first dose of vaccines and schedule their mop-up rounds. The standard operating procedure for second dose scheduling on Co-WIN software have been shared with states and Union Territories. In a letter to all states and UTs, Bhushan pointed out that according to the rapid assessment system only 88.9 per cent beneficiaries have indicated that they were provided information regarding adverse event following immunization (AEFI) at the session site. The states and UTs have been advised to ensure that all vaccination officers are trained and informed regarding AEFI and they should provide such information to all beneficiaries. In order to strengthen surveillance following COVID-19 vaccination, the Union health secretary has also urged states and UTs to ensure that AEFI committees at the state and district levels meet regularly to oversee the overall performance of AEFI Surveillance System.